A Sanctuary of Protection

A Ray of Hope - Hope is waiting for God to act in spite of insurmountable odds

A Beacon of Truth - Faith is speaking God’s Truth into impossible situations

A Source Of Strength - Strength is found in the midst of trials by dwelling in God’s presence at His pools of grace

A Sacrifice of Praise - Tears and Knees

tears of crying for God’s deliverance

tears of longing to be in God’s presence

tears of pleading for God’s grace and glory

A Sanctuary of Protection

A Messianic Psalm…Psalm 91 (vs.1-2)

A. The Names Of God

1) Most High –

a) The exaltedness of God

1. High in rank, position, or esteem

2. Grand or noble in character

b) The overwhelming majesty of God.

1. Splendor

2. Dignity

c) The supremacy of God.

1. Reign

2. Authority

3. Sovereignty

2) Shaddai – Almighty – All-powerful

3) Yahweh – The Name of the Lord – Person, character, and reputation

4) Elohim – The Creator Of Heaven and Earth.

B. Dwells / Abide

1) To sit and stay

2) To linger or loiter

3) To rest, as in to lodge for the night.

4) A secure, peaceful rest.

C. Shelter / Refuge / Fortress

1) Covering

2) Hiding Place

3) Secret place

4) Safety from storms, dangerous people or animals.

5) “Helm’s Deep”

D. Trust

1) Confidence

2) Safety and security

3) Without fear

He Delivers You (vs. 3-4)

A. Power overcoming the power of another

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. (Hebrews 2:14–15, NASB95)

But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54–57, NASB95)

B. To Strip of Power / To Plunder / Recover / Rescue

When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. (Colossians 2:13–15, NASB95)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3–5, NASB95)

obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:9, NASB95)

C. His Faithfulness Is A Shield And Bulwark

1) Frequently connected with His lovingkindness.

2) Also translated Truth. God’s words and actions are characterized by this term.

3) Bottom line: God will fulfill His promises.

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10–11, NASB95)

We Do Not Have To Be Afraid (vs. 5)

A. Although this Hebrew term is used for fearing other things, it is primarily used in the context of fearing, reverencing, being in awe of authority and power. And of those the vast majority are in reference to God.

B. So…it would seem to imply a comparison. Do I fear the terror by night or arrow or pestilence or destruction or war more than I fear God?

C. Also, it doesn’t say the terror of the night is not there. It doesn’t say that the arrow will not fly by your head. It doesn’t say that pestilence never comes. It just says we don’t need to fear them.

Walking In Freedom And Not Fear (vs. 5-7)

A. No Fear Of The Dark (Unknown, Unplanned, Unexpected, Uninformed)

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12, NASB95)

1) Why? Because We Can Know The Truth

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31–32, NASB95)

2) The Truth Will Set Us Free

“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36, NASB95)

B. We Are Not To Be Slaves To Fear

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7, NASB95)

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:18–19, NASB95)

1) Perfect love casts out fear.

a) Sometimes we are afraid of getting it wrong.

b) We are afraid of being judged

c) We are afraid of being criticized or chastised for doing it the wrong way.

d) We are afraid of not finding TP at the store.

2) We need to walk in faith instead.

a) Perfect love reminds us that we are no longer enemies of God.

b) Perfect love reminds us that we are no longer condemned.

c) Perfect love reminds us that God is in control and has a plan.

d) Perfect love reminds us that God is here to help us and strengthen us.

‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ (Isaiah 41:10, NASB95)

e) Perfect love reminds us that God is already victorious over everything.

3) Instead of being shackled by fear, we are released to love.

The Truth? Everything Will Be Ok. For Sure. (vs. 8-10)

A. Messianic – Second Coming

1) Ultimately It Points To The Second Coming Of Christ

2) But temporarily allows us to rest with the confidence that whatever happens on earth is with His knowledge. Nothing happens outside of His will, whether harm or disaster.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. (Matthew 10:29, NASB95)

B. Justice Will Be Served

C. No evil / Plague / Spot / Blemish Will Come Near Your Dwelling

“But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8, NASB95)

and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into (the New Jerusalem), but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:27, NASB95)

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. (Revelation 22:14–15, NASB95)

In The Meantime…He Will Give His Angels Charge Over You (vs. 11-13)

A. This is one place we get our concept of “Guardian Angels”

B. Guard – to watch carefully over

C. In All Our Ways – path of life, journey.

1) Protection from disaster, stumbling and dangers

2) We are lifted out of or through

3) We will not be overcome by them…in the end.

a) To strike – most often used in context of warring nations killing one another. So, it carries the weight of, if we stumble, that stone will not be the end of us.

b) To tread – to walk on or over. But it can also mean to walk next to something. To be beside it. So it could be translated, “You will walk alongside the lion and the cobra.”

1. Don’t need to fear the poison of the cobra or the teeth of the lion.

And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6–9, NASB95)

c) To trample - to defeat enemies by trampling underfoot.

1. Used figuratively of God trampling the wine press of His wrath.

From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. (Revelation 19:15, NASB95)

2. Serpent / Lion

Then the Lord God said to the serpent…I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. (Genesis 3:14–15, HCSB)

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; (Revelation 20:1–2, NASB95)

Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little. (1 Peter 5:8–10, HCSB)

D. They will help keep us on the right path.

E. We do have personal responsibility to employ in the faithfulness in following the direction and path God has laid out for us. So we do not test the Lord to see to what extent He might deliver us. That would be presumptuous.

Because He Has Loved Me (vs 14-16)

A. I Will Deliver Him

B. I Will Set Him On High – He has known my name.

C. I Will Answer When He Calls

D. I Will Be With Him In Trouble, Distress, Anguish

E. I Will Rescue Him And Honor Him

F. I Will Satisfy Him With Long Life

1) Following God faithfully, in general, produces a better and healthier life, keeping one free from the common pitfalls of temptation that can shorten one’s life.

2) Could be a reference to eternity.

3) Maybe more in line with “During your length of days, I will satisfy you”

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10, NASB95)

G. I Will Let Him See My Salvation, Deliverance, Victory

Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be rulerover My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly…and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you…Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.’ ” (2 Samuel 7:8-11, 16, NASB95)

Song: No Longer Slaves, I Will Trust In You, Another In the Fire